A new report from Gen Z research and strategy firm dcdx noted the importance of brand magnetism for the CPG industry to attract young consumers.
The report ultimately concluded that focusing on real consumers’ experiences is key to increasing engagement.
Brand magnetism is defined as the ability to attract consistent and popular user-generated content (UGC) on social media. UGC is, essentially, the currency of modern brands – the more people online are talking about you, the better.
In 2024, many brands seek to lead conversations through genuine, customer-focused content. The most magnetic brands benefit from customer loyalty. The more relevance a brand can command online, the less it has to compete on factors such as price, convenience and novelty.
Brand magnetism is measured by the metrics of engagement, popularity, time spent and consistency. The examined content is sourced mainly from TikTok and is exclusively US-based. The brands that dcdx judged as being most magnetic in Q1 were:
- Coca Cola
- Takis
- Red Bull
- Oreo
- Cheetos
- Prime
- Nutella
- Sprite
- Monster Energy
- Doritos
The brands that dcdx judged as being weak in terms of magnetism in Q1 were:
- Chamberlain Coffee
- Halo Top
- Spindrift
- Impossible Foods
- HUEL
- Kind
- Dove
- Planters
When it comes to user-generated content, videos showing experiments and reactions commanded the highest share of organic conversation.
Other categories, in order of the amount of conversation share they have, include challenges (such as viral food consumption challenges), brand actions (such as specific brand marketing), experiences (demonstrating consumers’ personal experience with the brand) and random (quirky memes).
The report also revealed the CPG brands which gained the most popularity in the last two years, with Pop Tarts, Doritos and Tostitos making the biggest strides.
The report concluded that experience-based content was the most successful at increasing engagement. Brands should focus on story-based content about true experiences to increase engagement among young consumers, who have grown weary of an increasingly chaotic social landscape.
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